Tayda and Lenny hunting - in my backyard. :(

[Tayda_Lenny]

Poor little rabbit crossed the wrong backyard on saturday. I opened the door to let the dogs out saturday morning and quickly grabbed a glass of water and followed them out the door. In the 15 seconds it took me to fill my glass with water they had caught and killed a little rabbit that was in the backyard! I was shocked! I walked out to Lenny shaking the rabbit in his mouth. I think he was already dead. Poor little guy….

But, I was secretly impressed.

[Janneke]

Poor little rabbit…

@Tayda_Lenny:

But, I was secretly impressed.

I know that feeling

[tanza]

I know exactly what you mean…. did they eat the bunny?.... only reason I ask is that when Vickie Perrine's would catch and eat the rabbits they caught in the year.. within a couple of weeks they had tape worms....

[renaultf1]

Poor bunny…

Did you let Lenny keep his prize?

[EskiLovr]

My parents had a scottish terrier when I was growing up, and he used to catch and kill rabbits with alarming regularity. I could never figure out how a dog with legs that short could get enough speed to catch a bunny, but he did it many times every summer.

He would leave them at the bottom of the steps and stand over them as if he was quite proud of himself, until my mother came out to see where he was, and saw him. She screamed in disgust every time, but I thought it was cool!

[Tayda_Lenny]

They definitely did not eat the bunny. I intervened while they were still ripping the fur off of it and spitting it out.

I made them drop the bunny and I put an ex pen around it to keep them from getting at it until my boyfriend (who was already on his way over) could pick it up and dispose of it. I really didn't want to touch the thing. But then Lenny got to it through the expen and dragged its head through the wires. I couldn't bring myself to grab it and pull it through myself so I let Lenny try to pull it through but he couldn't get it either. Yuck.

When my boyfriend got here and freed it… he was holding it up in the air and neither Lenny or Tayda had any interest in it.

I've been checking the over for fleas (do bunnys have fleas?) and have not seen anything. I think the only thing they got from it was a few mouthfuls of fur.

I was out there yelling and screaming expletives the whole time. My new neighbors probably think I'm a pretty rough chick now.

[Craigh]

@Tayda_Lenny:

I've been checking the over for fleas (do bunnys have fleas?) and have not seen anything.

Around here the wild cottontails are infested with them.

[mauigirl]

LOL! I know exactly how you feel about being impressed!! It's like damn, I have a bad ass dog! Zip caught a bunny on our second day in GA and I heard the poor thing scream out when she caught it by the leg. There has been one other besides that and then just recently Liz caught Riley with a days old baby bunny in his mouth. It lived. She put it back in tall grass incidentally right next to where the nest was. We saw another one in there. We have been on the lookout for Zip and Riley paying particular attention to that part of the yard. I don't even know if they're still there. Apparently I'm not allowed to go check….Liz jokes that she has to protect the baby bunnies from the dogs AND me!

[Duke]

Oooo - I remember when Daisy got a baby bunny! It freaked me out so bad that when I screamed she dropped it - then I got the dogs in the house till my DH came home to get rid of the poor thing. But if Lenny got an adult rabbit - I'd freak even bigger! What a day you had!

We have rabbits running in our yard - they're very brave.

[tanza]

Just keep and eye on them and their stool for Tape…. even from the fur.. they can get the tape worm....

[SenjiShowgirl]

hmm, my boy doesn't chase rabbits. he pricks his ears up and may try to get close but no chasing from this boy. I have bred rabbits for close to 10 years and i was worried he would end up hurting one if it got loose but i exposed him to rabbits of all ages and he doesn't mind them anymore. now squirrels on the other hand. oh my. he can put on some amazing speed to catch them; he even darn near climbed a tree for one.

if he catches one i always take it away. i am not takign any chances on any disease they may be carrying. late last year my big shepherd boy treed a raccoon that had some sort of disease. after that close call i take no chances with them and wild animals.

his first meeting with a bunny:

[Tayda_Lenny]

@tanza:

Just keep and eye on them and their stool for Tape…. even from the fur.. they can get the tape worm....

Thanks - I will…. I just did a poop pick up yesterday and in the last few days I've seen Lenny grazing on some bird seed that had fallen out of the feeder - he apparently ate a LOT of it because his poop looked like it had been rolled in bird seed. lol. what a nut.

[Tayda_Lenny]

wow senjishowgirl its good you introduced them young. I think the only small animal Lenny was exposed to when he was a puppy was Kelli's chinchilla (i think its a chinchilla). At this point, I would frankly not trust either of them with anything small and furry.

I was at a friends house who has a chain link fenced yard and lenny climbed OVER the fence to chase the squirrel into the adjacent backyard. YIKES! Again, it was scary to have to chase him, but I was secretly impressed. Did he grow opposable thumbs or something? It happened so fast I couldn't exactly see how he did it, but he definitely got over the fence.

[wizard]

My first two were great rabbit hunters (Gossy has yet to prove herself) and my first was blind in one eye and still got the rabbits. Tape worms are definitely a concern but just get a stool sample soon. Fleas are also a concern so check before they come in the house if at all possible (I speak from experience) - and this is one instance where a red/white is the best color.

[agilebasenji]

WOW! I'd love to have a pet bunny, but . . . Actually never thought it would be possible to have basenjis and bunnies.

The only time I ever saw fleas where I live is when Digital caught (and killed) a rabbit. 3 dogs (2 basenjis and the malinois) were covered in fleas. Couldn't even bring them in the house, so I bathed them on the back poarch. Very carefully followed the directions of the kitten/puppy safe flea shampoo. Digital had just had a bath since it was therapy week. Unfortunately the flea shampoo wasn't basenji-safe (both boys broke out in a rash or hives, it's been a while ago) so they had to have another bath the next day, which made it 3 baths in one week for poor Diggie. I told him I hoped that poor bunny was worth it!

[kiroja]

LOL Michelle, way to go Lenny! I'm sure after all that racing that he's super proud of his "real" kill. And I'm not too surprised that he scaled the fence for the squirrel. He could certainly scale the pen as a pup. lol Definitely keep an eye out for the tapes.

Yes, that was my chinchilla that he got to grow up with. I'm sure he made a couple visits downstairs to visit the little critters, but the chin was the only regular exposure. And I don't think he ever got to visit with Elvis, but Mojo and Cleo did.

They know that when we go to visit the critters they have to be good, but I have no doubts that left to their own accord or seeing one dash through the yard that they would be all for the kill. Mojo might want to play with it a little first, but I don't think it would survive that either. lol

[Kananga]

Heh, Kananga had his first rabbit spotting this year on our walk today. He spotted the rabbit running instantly and wanted to chase after it. Amazing to see how alert these dogs become when it comes to hunting down food.

[Woofless]

Awww, I love the pics of bunnies and Basenjis. Adorable.

Mine have never caught a bunny….we rented a house on 40 acres once but the bunnies were always long gone before Jibini got to them. He hasn't mastered the whole "stealth" thing. Now, we only see bunnies in the farmer's field OUTSIDE the yard. I'm not lettin' them loose; we're almost rural but not quite :). Cattle pastures & horses nearby, too many gun-happy ranchers who'll shoot anything furry near their livestock.

Ohhhh- but the NOISES they make when they see the bunnies & can't go get them? Priceless. My neighbors likely think I torture a falsetto Chewbacca in my backyard on occasion.

Jibini got a prairie dog once, though. He was on-leash at a Utah rest area. Digging in a burrow. I figured no harm in it- fun energy release for the dog. I thought prairie dogs had deep, interconnecting burrows? Evidently not these guys- after a minute of digging (head & shoulders in the hole) he came out with a prairie dog in his mouth. One shake of Jibini's head & the critter was lifeless.

I had the same reaction- shocked and a little proud, LOL. My husband was simply proud. I put forth the requisite girly squealing before calming down & realizing I was impressed with my dog's instinct.

I guess I somehow figured with his spoiled-rotten-mama's-boy upbringing & fancy show-dog lineage he might be a little soft around the edges. The kind of dog who'd show enough instinct to catch a critter then act confused about what comes next. LOL. Evidently not Jibini.